#cometlanding

In the tradition of the school that says yes, when Brightworks heard about the Rosetta space mission coming to an end a couple weeks ago with the lander Philae being launched into space to land on a comet, we figured the best way to celebrate and witness this moment in history was to have a sleepover at the school. Of course!We went to see the new movie Interstellar in the theater, then returned to the school to talk over oreos and milk about physics, plot and character, the representation of women in the movie, reproductive sciences, and fifth-dimensional beings. Even though it was fiction, the movie really helped contextualize the space of space - and gave us a better idea of the importance of the ten-year Rosetta mission to land on a comet.Then it was to the cork floor as the Rosetta released the Philae lander! We got in our pajamas and curled up in a heap with pillows, sleeping bags, and blankets, and watched excited European scientists see another milestone in their mission come to success. We fell asleep with fingers crossed that the lander would make it.In the morning - 6am in the morning, to be precise - we woke up to breakfast and a successful landing, despite the harpoons not firing successfully to the comet, and we cheered along with the scientists as witnesses to a moment of excitement and new discoveries about the universe.